Method of cleaning and stripping an optical fiber using an electrical arc, and associated apparatus

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for processing an optical fiber includes generating a continuous or pulsed arc in a first area wherein the arc creates a plasma in one or more gasses in the first area. The method further includes positioning a portion of the fiber in a second area adjacent to and outside of the plasma region, wherein coating material that is present on the optical fiber portion is removed when the plasma is present. Alternatively, in the case of a pulsed arc, the optical fiber portion may be positioned at least partially within the plasma region. The positioning step may be performed prior to or subsequent to the arc generating step. The method and apparatus may be utilized in a system that also strips and cleaves optical fibers. Also, a method for reducing the gap resistance between two electrodes by injecting negative ions into the area between the electrodes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the preparation of optical fibers, andin particular to a method and apparatus for cleaning and/or stripping anoptical fiber using a continuous or pulsed electrical arc.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Fiber optic cables are widely used in modern optical devices and opticalcommunications systems. Optical fibers are strands of glass fiberprocessed so that light beams transmitted through the glass fiber aresubject to total internal reflection wherein a large fraction of theincident intensity of light directed into the fiber is received at theother end of the fiber. In addition, a number of individual opticalfibers may be grouped together to form what is known as a ribbon fiber.

For some applications, the optical fiber or fibers must be manykilometers long. It is therefore often necessary to splice two shorterlengths of optical fiber (a single fiber or a ribbon fiber) together toform a longer optical fiber. The need to splice optical fibers alsoarises when it is necessary to use a length longer than can be made fromsingle preform, when an existing length of fiber breaks, or whenapparatus such as an amplifier is to be incorporated into a length offiber.

Optical fibers are usually coated with one or more protective layers,for example a polymer coating made of acrylate or polyimide, in order toprotect the surface of the fiber from chemical or mechanical damage. Inorder to prepare the fibers to be cleaved and spliced, or in order tofurther process the fibers to manufacture optical devices such asoptical sensors and other optical communications network components, itis necessary to remove the protective coating or coatings, a processknown as stripping, and to clean the optical fiber to remove anyremaining coating debris.

Conventional stripping methods include mechanical stripping, chemicalstripping, and thermal stripping. Mechanical stripping typicallyinvolves a stripping tool, similar to a wire stripper, which cutsthrough the coating and scrapes it off. Mechanical stripping may resultin nicks or scratches on the glass fiber surface, which could lead tocracks and degradation in the tensile strength of the fiber. Chemicalstripping uses solvents or concentrated acids to remove the polymercoating. Chemical stripping is typically very costly, presents safetyconcerns due to the nature of the chemicals that are used, and, in somecases, may adversely affect the splice strength.

Moreover, conventional cleaning methods include chemical cleaning andelectrical arc based cleaning. For example, prior art fusion splicingdevices have typically cleaned optical fibers prior to splicing in twosteps. In a first step, a chemical, typically alcohol, is used to removelarge debris (large coating particles) from the cleaved end of theoptical fiber that is left behind following the stripping step. Then, ina second step, a single electrical arc pulse, commonly referred to as a“prefuse arc,” is used to remove any small debris (smaller coatingparticles) that may remain after the chemical cleaning step. Inparticular, in this second step, the “prefuse arc” generates a plasma,and the cleaved end of the fiber is inserted into the plasma. Theintense heat of the plasma vaporizes the remaining small debris. Theprior, extra chemical cleaning step is necessary because using the“prefuse arc” and resulting plasma to remove large debris would resultin the contamination of the electrodes, v-grooves and optics of thefusion splicer due to the sputtering of the large debris.

Thus, there is a need for an improved method of stripping and/orcleaning an optical fiber prior to splicing and/or cleaving steps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method of processing an opticalfiber, such as a single optical fiber or a ribbon fiber, that includesgenerating an electrical arc in a first area wherein the electrical arccreates a plasma in one or more gasses located in the first area. Theplasma that is generated is in a region referred to as the plasmaregion. The method further includes positioning a portion of the opticalfiber in a second area that is adjacent to and outside of the plasmaregion, wherein coating material that is present on the portion of theoptical fiber is removed when the plasma is present and the portion ofthe optical fiber is positioned in the second area. The positioning stepmay be performed prior to or subsequent to the arc generating step.

In one embodiment, the method is used for cleaning the optical fiber. Inthis case, the optical fiber includes at least one coating layer and theportion of the optical fiber is a stripped portion of the optical fiberformed by removing nearly all of the at least one coating layertherefrom. The coating material in this embodiment comprises coatingmaterial debris that is left on the stripped portion of the opticalfiber.

In another embodiment, the method is used for stripping the opticalfiber. In this case, the coating material comprises nearly all of the atleast one coating layer that is present at the portion of the opticalfiber that is position in the second area.

The method may also further include translating the portion of saidoptical fiber that is positioned in the second area relative to theplasma region when the plasma is present. Preferably, the translatingstep is performed at a rate of between approximately 0.1 mm/second andapproximately 100 mm/second.

The electrical arc is generated along a first axis and the optical fiberhas a longitudinal axis. The positioning step may include positioningthe optical fiber such that the longitudinal axis is generallyperpendicular to said first axis. Alternatively, the positioning stepmay include positioning the optical fiber such that the longitudinalaxis is generally parallel to the first axis.

The electrical arc may be continuous electrical arc. The electrical arcmay also be a pulsed electrical arc. Preferably, the pulsed electricalarc is generated at a frequency of about 15 KHz at a 50% duty cycle. Inaddition, the generating step may further include turning the pulsedelectrical arc on and off at a ratio separate from the primary dutycycle, wherein the ratio is selectable by a user and comprisesrepeatedly turning the pulsed electrical arc on for a first time periodand off for a second time period. For example, the first time period maybe approximately 50 ms and the second time period may one ofapproximately 150 ms, approximately 121 ms, approximately 88 ms, andapproximately 50 ms.

The one or more gasses in which the plasma is generated may include air,CO₂, or an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon. Preferably, the one ormore gasses include a gas that removes one or both of oxygen andhumidity from the first area, or a gas that reduces the dielectricstrength in the first area.

In one alternative embodiment, the method includes generating a pulsedelectrical arc in a first area, wherein the pulsed electrical arccreates a plasma in a plasma region in one or more gasses located in thefirst area. The method further includes positioning a portion of theoptical fiber at least partially within the plasma region. According tothe method, coating material that is present on the portion of theoptical fiber is removed when the plasma is present and that portion ispositioned at least partially within the plasma region. The positioningstep may be performed prior to or subsequent to the generating step. Thevarious alternative described above may also be employed in thisembodiment.

The present invention also relates to an apparatus for preparing anoptical fiber having at least one coating layer that includes strippingmodule for removing nearly all of the at least one coating layer presentat a portion of the optical fiber, a cleaning module, a cleaving modulefor cleaving an end of the optical fiber, and a fiber holding mechanismfor holding the optical fiber and moving the optical fiber among thestripping module, the cleaning module and the cleaving module. Thecleaning module includes a first electrode and a second electrode. Anelectrical arc is selectively generated in a first area between thefirst electrode and the second electrode. The electrical arc creates aplasma in one or more gasses located in the first area, wherein theplasma is located in a plasma region. In addition, the fiber holdingmechanism selectively positions the portion of the optical fiber in asecond area that is adjacent to and outside of the plasma region,wherein debris left on that portion is removed when the plasma ispresent and the portion of the optical fiber is positioned in the secondarea.

The present invention also relates to an apparatus for preparing anoptical fiber having at least one coating layer that includes strippingmodule for removing nearly all of the at least one coating layer presentat a portion of the optical fiber, a cleaning module, a cleaving modulefor cleaving an end of the optical fiber, and a fiber holding mechanismfor holding the optical fiber and moving the optical fiber among thestripping module, the cleaning module and the cleaving module. Thecleaning module includes a first electrode and a second electrode,wherein a pulsed electrical arc is selectively generated in a first areabetween the first electrode and the second electrode. The pulsedelectrical arc creates a plasma in a plasma region in one or more gasseslocated in the first area. The fiber holding mechanism selectivelypositions the portion of the optical fiber at least partially within theplasma region, wherein debris left on that portion is removed when theplasma is present and that portion is positioned at least partiallywithin the plasma region.

An aspect of the present invention also relates to a method for reducingthe gap resistance between two electrodes, such as the electrodes usedin the cleaning and stripping apparatuses described above, by injectingnegative ions into the gas or gasses that are located between theelectrodes. As a result, the voltage that is required to causedielectric breakdown and initiation of the electrical arc is drastically

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other advantages of the present invention will become readilyapparent upon consideration of the following detailed description andattached drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are front and top schematic diagrams, respectively, of acleaning apparatus according to one embodiment of the present inventionthat employs an electrical arc for removing debris from an opticalfiber;

FIG. 3 is a front schematic diagram of a cleaning apparatus that employsa pulsed electrical arc for removing debris from an optical fiberaccording to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams of a cleaning apparatus thatemploys either a continuous electrical arc or a pulsed electrical arcfor removing debris from an optical fiber according to furtheralternative embodiments of the present invention; wherein the electricalarc creates a plasma in a gas introduced from a gas source;

FIG. 6 is a top schematic diagram of a stripping apparatus according toan alternative embodiment of the present invention that employs anelectrical arc for stripping an optical fiber;

FIG. 7 is a front schematic view of an alternative embodiment of thecleaning apparatus according to the present invention in which theoptical fiber is moveable in a direction that is generally parallel tothe axis along which the arc is generated;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an optical fiber prep unit according to afurther aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a cleaning apparatus that employs amethod for reducing the dielectric strength and thus the gap resistancein the area between the first electrode and the second electrodeaccording to yet a further aspect of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 and 2 are front and top schematic diagrams, respectively, of acleaning apparatus 5 according to one embodiment of the presentinvention that employs an electrical arc for removing debris from anoptical fiber 10. While optical fiber 10 is depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 asa single optical fiber, it should be understood that optical fiber 10may also consist of multiple optical fibers as in the case of a ribbonfiber. As seen most readily in FIG. 2, optical fiber 10 has beenstripped, i.e., a portion of the coating layer 15 has been removedyielding an exposed glass portion 20.

Cleaning apparatus 5 includes a first electrode 25 and a secondelectrode 30. The first electrode 25 and the second electrode 30 areseparated by a fixed distance. The first electrode 25 is electricallyconnected to a power source 35. The second electrode 30 is connected toground. The power source 35 is under the control of a control unit 40that includes a processing unit such as a microprocessor. In addition,as seen in FIG. 2, a motor driven holding mechanism (not shown) isprovided to enable the optical fiber 10 to be selectively moved in thedirection of the arrows in FIG. 2. Preferably, at least the firstelectrode 25 and the second electrode 30 are provide within an enclosure(not shown), which may be a partially or fully airtight enclosure.

The power source 35 is adapted to selectively provide a voltage to thefirst electrode 25 that in turn causes an electrical arc to be generatedbetween the first electrode 25 and the second electrode 30. Theelectrical arc is created by causing a dielectric breakdown of the airbetween the first electrode 25 and the second electrode 30. Thisbreakdown occurs when a charge buildup exceeds the electrical limit ordielectric strength of the air between the first electrode 25 and thesecond electrode 30.

The voltage provided to the first electrode 25 is of such a level thatthe electrical arc that is generated creates a plasma field between thefirst electrode 25 and the second electrode 30 by ionizing the airlocated there between. As indicated by the dashed lines in FIGS. 1 and2, the region in which the generated plasma field exists is located justbelow the plane in which the optical fiber 10 is able to move. Forconvenience, this region will be referred to herein as the plasmaregion. The voltage required to create a sufficient arc for this purposeis on the order of 10 KV to 30 KV.

In one particular implementation of the embodiment of the cleaningapparatus 5 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the exposed glass portion 20 of theoptical fiber is positioned above and therefore outside of the plasmaregion, and a continuous arc is generated between the first electrode 25and the second electrode 30. The heat that is generated by the plasmafield far exceeds the melting temperature of the material making up thecoating layer 15. Specifically, the heat is on the order of 300° C. orhigher. As a result, rather than melting any coating layer debris, theheat actually causes a non-combustive explosion that removes any coatinglayer debris, both large and small, that is left on the exposed coreportion 20. This occurs because the coefficient of thermal expansion ofthe coating material relative to the modulus of elasticity of thecoating material is such that, when exposed to the heat generated by theplasma field, the coating martial expands at a rate that is faster thanit can accommodate without breaking up. In addition, in order for thecoating layer debris to be removed without melting or otherwise damagingthe glass material making up the exposed glass portion 20, the durationof the electrical arc must be sufficiently short and/or the opticalfiber 10, and in particular the exposed core portion 20, must betranslated relative to the plasma region at a sufficient rate.Preferably, the duration of the arc is on the order of 50 millisecondson and 100 milliseconds off, and the rate of translation is on the orderof between 0.1 mm/second and 100 mm/second, most preferably 5 mm/secondor higher. Thus, in this particular implementation of the invention, theoptical fiber 10 is positioned outside of the plasma region and the heatgenerated by the plasma field is used to remove coating debris. This isin contrast to the prior art in which, as discussed above, opticalfibers are placed directly within the plasma field generated by acontinuous electrical arc.

According to another particular implementation of the embodiment of thecleaning apparatus 5 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the power source 35 iscontrolled by the control unit 40 such that multiple arcs between thefirst electrode 25 and the second electrode 30 may be successivelygenerated at a particular frequency. This results in what shall bereferred to herein as a pulsed arc between the first electrode 25 andthe second electrode 30. In addition, in the preferred implementation,as the pulsed arc is generated, the optical fiber 10, and in particularthe exposed glass portion 20, is positioned above the plasma region andis translated in one or both of the directions indicated by the arrowsin FIG. 2. As the optical fiber 10 is translated, the heat generated bythe plasma field removes the coating layer debris, both large and small,that is left on the exposed core portion 20 in the manner describedabove (i.e., as a result of a non-combustive explosion), therebycleaning the optical fiber 10.

In the preferred embodiment, the pulsed arc is generated at a frequencyof about 15 KHz at a 50% duty cycle, although is should be appreciatedthat other frequencies and duty cycles may also be used withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention. The arc power that isrequired for effective cleaning will vary for each application, and willdepend on the type and quantity of optical fibers being cleanedsimultaneously. In addition, the required power level is dictated, to asmaller degree, by the environmental conditions under which the cleaningprocess is being performed (e.g., higher altitudes will require greaterpower). Finally, the required power level will be dictated by the rateat which the optical fiber 10 is translated. In the preferredembodiment, the correlation between power level and rate of translationis tested and adjustments are made automatically by the control unit 40.The arc power should thus be selectively controlled by an operatorthough the control unit 40, which, as described above, controls theoperation of the power source 35. In particular, the arc power level maybe controlled by turning the pulsed arc on and off at an adjustableratio separate from the primary duty cycle. In other words, the pulsedarc is turned on, for example at 15 KHz with a 50% duty cycle, for afirst time period, such as 50 ms, and then off for a second time period,such as 150 ms, and so on. Preferably, the arc pulsing is repeated untilthe entirety of the exposed core portion 20 is translated above theplasma field in one or both directions. In one particular embodiment,the pulsed arc is a 15 KHz 50% duty cycle arc with an on time of 50 msand an off time of 150 ms for one optical fiber, 121 ms for four opticalfibers, 88 ms for eight optical fibers, and 50 ns for twelve opticalfibers. A user interface may be provided on the control unit 40 toenable an operator to easily make the appropriate adjustments.

Referring to FIG. 3, a front schematic diagram is provided of a cleaningapparatus 5 that employs a pulsed electrical arc for removing debrisfrom an optical fiber 10 according to an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention. The apparatus and method according to this embodimentdiffer from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in that in thisembodiment, the optical fiber 10 is translated at least partially, andpreferably entirely, within the plasma field that is generated by thepulsed arc between the first electrode 25 and the second electrode 30.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams of a cleaning apparatus 5 thatemploys either a continuous electrical arc or a pulsed electrical arc,both as described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, for removing debrisfrom an optical fiber 10 according to further alternative embodiments ofthe present invention. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, thecleaning apparatus 5 is further provided with a gas source 45 thatstores a gas, such as CO₂ or an inert gas like nitrogen or argon. Underthe control of the control unit 40, the gas source 45 selectivelysupplies the stored gas to the region between the between the firstelectrode 25 and the second electrode 30 through nozzle 50. As a result,when the continuous or pulse arc is generated between the firstelectrode 25 and the second electrode 30, the plasma field will begenerated within the supplied gas. CO₂ is a preferred gas because itremoves both oxygen and humidity from the region where the cleaningoccurs, which in some cases may adversely effect the cleaning. Any othergas or combination of gasses that does the same thing may also be used.In addition, a gas or combination of gasses that reduces the dielectricstrength in the area between the first electrode 25 and the secondelectrode 30 may also be used. As described in greater detail elsewhereherein, reducing the dielectric strength in the area between the firstelectrode 25 and the second electrode 30 reduces the magnitude of thevoltage that must be supplied by the power source 35 to generate theelectrical arc.

The embodiment of FIG. 4 is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1 in thatthe optical fiber 10 is positioned and translated just above the plasmaregion, and the embodiment of FIG. 5 is similar to the embodiment ofFIG. 3 in that the optical fiber 10 is translated at least partially,and preferably entirely, within the plasma region. In the embodimentsshown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the enclosure (not shown) that houses at leastthe first electrode 25 and the second electrode 30 is preferably anairtight enclosure that is operatively coupled to a vacuum pump forselectively evacuating the interior thereof before the introduction ofthe gas from the gas source 45.

As seen in FIG. 6, the various apparatus and methods described hereinmay also be used to remove a portion of the coating layer 15 of theoptical fiber 10 (i.e., to strip the optical fiber 10). In this case,the portion of the coating layer to be removed is either translatedabove (FIGS. 1, 2 and 4) or at least partially within (FIGS. 3 and 5)the plasma region generated between the first electrode 25 and thesecond electrode 30 by either the continuous arc or the pulsed arc, asthe case may be.

In FIGS. 1 through 6, the optical fiber 10 is shown as being moveable ina direction that is generally perpendicular to the axis along which thearc is generated between the first electrode 25 and the second electrode30. FIG. 7 is a front schematic view of an alternate embodiment of thecleaning apparatus 5 in which the optical fiber 10 is moveable in adirection, shown by the arrows in FIG. 7, that is generally parallel tothe axis along which the arc is generated between the first electrode 25and the second electrode 30. All other aspects of the cleaning apparatus5 may be as described above. For example, although not shown in FIG. 7,it will be appreciated that a gas source 45 may be provided as shown inFIG. 4 so that the plasma field can be generated from the gas providethereby.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an optical fiber prep unit 50 according toa further aspect of the present invention. The prep unit 50 includes acontrol unit 55 and a power source 60 that are similar to the control 40and power source 35, respectively, that are shown in FIG. 1 through 7.The control unit 55 and power source 60 are operatively connected to oneor more busses, represented by bus 65. The prep unit 50 also includes afiber holder 70 for holding an optical fiber while it is processed bythe prep unit 50. The fiber holder 70 is connected to electric motor 75,which in turn is operatively connected to bus 65. The motor 75 enablesthe fiber holder 70, and thus the fiber being processed, to beselectively moved within the prep unit 50 as described herein.

The prep unit 50 includes three modules that enable it to strip, cleanand cleave an optical fiber prior to being spliced (by a separate devicesuch as a fusion splicer). First, a stripping module 80 is provided forstripping the optical fiber. The stripping module 80 may employ anyknown or hereafter developed stripping methods. In one embodiment, thestripping module 80 is a mechanical stripping module having a matchingpair of flat blades and a fiber heating surface for preheating theoptical fiber prior to being stripped by the blades. In anotherembodiment, the stripping module 80 may be an electrical arc basedstripping module as shown and described in connection with FIG. 6. Inthe latter case, the prep unit 50 may include a gas source 85, similarto gas source 45 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, for introducing a gas, such asCO₂ or an inert gas like nitrogen or argon, into the stripping module 80from which the plasma used for stripping is generated. As seen in FIG.8, both the stripping module 80 and the gas source 85 are operativelyconnected to the bus 65 in order to receive control signals from thecontrol unit 55 and/or power from the power source 60.

The prep unit 50 is further provided with an arc generated heat cleaningmodule 90 for cleaning the optical fiber after it has been stripped bystripping module 80. The arc generated heat cleaning module 90 uses aplasma generated by an electrical arc to clean the optical fiber, andmay be implemented in accordance with any of the various embodimentsdescribed herein in connection with FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7. A highvoltage source 95, operatively coupled to the power source 60 throughthe bus 65, is connected to arc generated heat cleaning module 90 forproviding the high voltages necessary to create the continuous or pulsedelectrical arc. In addition, as will be appreciated, gas source 85 isconnected to arc generated heat cleaning module 90 for embodiments inwhich a gas such as CO₂ or an inert gas like nitrogen or argon is usedin the generation of the plasma.

Finally, prep unit 50 includes a cleaving module 100 for cleaving thestripped and cleaned end of the optical fiber. The cleaving module 100may employ any known or hereafter developed cleaving methods. Forexample, the cleaving module 100 may include a straight diamond edge forultrasonically cleaving the optical fiber. This solution, which resultsin a low cleave angle, is particularly well adapted for use inconnection with single fibers, but is not well suited for ribbon fibers.Alternatively, the cleaving module 100 may use a carbide blade to scribethe optical fiber and a plunger mechanism to break the fiber at thescribe point and create a flat cleave. This solution may be used withboth single fibers and ribbon fibers.

In operation, an optical fiber that is to be spliced is placed on fiberholder 70. The fiber holder 70 is then moved by motor 75 to thestripping module 80 where an appropriate amount of protective coatinglayer is removed. Next, the fiber holder 70 is moved by the motor 75 tothe arc generated heat cleaning module 90 wherein the debris remainingafter the cleaning step is removed using electrical arc based cleaningas described herein. Finally, the fiber holder 70 is moved by motor 75to the cleaving module 100 wherein the optical fiber that is to bespliced is cleaved so that it may subsequently be spliced with anotherfiber.

As described above, the various embodiments of the present inventionutilize an electrical arc generated between two electrodes (the firstelectrode 25 and the second electrode 30) separated by a certain fixeddistance to create a plasma in a gas or mixture of gasses locatedbetween the electrodes. The electrical arc is created by applying avoltage to one of the electrodes (the first electrode 25) that issufficient to cause a dielectric breakdown of the gas or mixture ofgasses present between the two electrodes. This breakdown occurs when acharge buildup exceeds the electrical limit or dielectric strength ofthe air between the electrodes. Thus, the magnitude of the voltage thatis required to cause the dielectric breakdown and thus generate theelectrical arc is a function of the dielectric strength of the gas ormixture of gases present between the two electrodes. The higher thedielectric strength, and thus the higher the gap resistance between thetwo electrodes, the larger the voltage that is required to generate theelectrical arc.

In many applications that require an arc, the voltage potential betweenthe electrodes is simply increased until a spark occurs. Once a sparkoccurs, the gas or gasses, such as air, between the electrodes becomesionized. Since ionized gasses, such as air, are conductors rather thaninsulators, the arc, resulting from the spark, can then be maintainedeasily by current regulation. Because of the fact that the gas orgasses, such as air, typically have a huge resistance to current flowuntil dielectric breakdown and effectively a negative resistanceafterwards, highly complex and costly circuits are required tocompensate and prevent system meltdown resulting from the relativelyhigh applied voltages. In addition, in some applications, there may be apractical limit to the magnitude of voltage that can be applied to theelectrode. Similarly, in many applications, it is advantageous to limitthe magnitude of voltage that is required to generate an electrical arcso that smaller, less complex and less expensive electrical componentsmay be used. Finally, a number of other factors also somewhat affect thedielectric strength of a fixed length gap between two electrodes,including humidity, pressure/altitude, gasses present, naturalradioactivity, cosmic rays, and electrode condition. To the extent thatany of these factors increase dielectric strength and gap resistance, alarger voltage will be required to generate an electrical arc betweenthe two electrodes.

Thus, an aspect of the present invention provides a method by which thegap resistance between two electrodes separated by a fixed distance canbe reduced, thereby reducing the magnitude of the voltage that isrequired to generate an electrical arc between the two electrodes. Inparticular, the present invention reduces the gap resistance between twoelectrodes by injecting negative ions into the gas or gasses that arelocated between the electrodes. As a result, the voltage that isrequired to cause dielectric breakdown and initiation of the electricalarc is drastically reduced. This minimizes the impact of uncontrolledvariables (listed above) while simultaneously decreasing the magnitudeof the current avalanche caused when dielectric breakdown occurs.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a cleaning apparatus 5 that employseither a continuous electrical arc or a pulsed electrical arc, both asdescribed in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, for removing debris from anoptical fiber 10 according to a further alternative embodiment of thepresent invention. The embodiment of cleaning apparatus 5 shown in FIG.9 employs the method described above for reducing the dielectricstrength and thus the gap resistance in the area between the firstelectrode 25 and the second electrode 30. The cleaning apparatus 5 shownin FIG. 9 is further provided with an ionizer device 105 in closeproximity to the first electrode 25 and the second electrode 30. Underthe control of the control unit 40, the ionizer device 105 injectsnegative ions into the region between the first electrode 25 and thesecond electrode 30, and this into the gas, which in this particularcase is air, that is located in that region. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 9, the ionizer device 105 is a standard negative ionizer circuit110 electrically coupled to an associated electrode 1115, such as thosethat are employed in well known air cleaning devices. In such a case,when the ionizer circuit 110 is turned on, the associated electrode 115emanates negative ions into the air. As will be appreciated, other knownionizer device configurations may also be employed. The presence ofthese additional ions between the first electrode 25 and the secondelectrode 30 greatly reduces the dielectric strength of the gas, andtherefore the gap resistance between the first electrode 25 and thesecond electrode 30. Since ionized air is a good conductor ofelectricity, an electrical arc can easily be created in this mediumwithout significant consideration of the variables mentioned above andwith significantly reduced voltages. In combination, these advantageslead to a more stable and controllable arc with simpler and more costeffective circuitry. It is important to note that that the ionizerelectrode should not be positioned too close to the first electrode 25and the second electrode 30 as an electrical discharge between them isnot desirable.

As will be appreciated, the ionizer device 105, and thus the methoddescribed above, may be used in connection with any of the variousembodiments described herein (FIGS. 3 through 7) to reduce the voltagethat must be provided by power source 35 to generate an electrical arc.In the embodiments that utilize a gas source 45 (FIGS. 4 and 5), thenegative ions are injected into the gas or gasses that are introduced bythe gas source 45.

As will be also appreciated, the method of reducing dielectric strengthand gap resistance is not limited to use with the cleaning apparatus andstripping apparatus embodiments described herein. Instead, it may beused in any application that requires the generation of an electricalarc between two electrodes. For example, in the arena of fusionsplicing, an electrical arc is utilized to generate sufficient heat tomelt and subsequently bond together two silica glass optical fibers. Anionizer device, such as ionizer device 105, may be provided in such anapplication to inject negative ions into the region between the arcgenerating electrodes such that the voltage that is required to generatethe arc used in the fusion splicing process may be reduced. Otherpotential applications will be apparent to those of skill in the art,such as, without limitation, in the arc welding and arc lighting fields.

In many applications, it is advantageous to be able to selectivelycontrol the location and orientation of, i.e., move, a plasma field thatis generated by an electrical arc between two electrodes. For example,in the case of fusion splicing of optical fibers using a plasma, theability to anneal the splice point where the fiber ends have been fusedtogether by sweeping the plasma field (e.g., in a left to right fashion)is advantageous as it improves the quality of the splice. According to afurther aspect of the present invention, an ionizer device, such asionizer device 105, may be used to control and selectively move andadjust a plasma field generated between two electrodes. In particular,because an ionizer device as described herein emits negative ions, itbehaves in a manner similar to a magnet and is able to pull the plasmafield toward it. In the case of the ionizer device 105, the electrode115 emits the negative ions and therefore has a negative potential. Byadjusting the power output (which controls the number of negative ionsemitted), the location, and/or the orientation (relative to the arcpath; i.e., the degree to which it points in the direction of the arcpath) of the ionizer electrode 115, the plasma field generated as aresult of the arc can be selectively moved and repositioned (i.e.,steered) relative to its original path. This feature can be valuablebecause it gives a new dimension of control to the arc and resultingplasma field that is currently unavailable in the industry.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described andillustrated above, it should be understood that these are exemplary ofthe invention and are not to be considered as limiting. Additions,deletions, substitutions, and other modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the present invention.Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as limited by theforegoing description but is only limited by the scope of the claimsthat ultimately issue.

1. A method of processing an optical fiber, comprising: generating anelectrical arc in a first area, said electrical arc creating a plasma inone or more gasses located in said first area, said plasma being locatedin a plasma region; and positioning a portion of said optical fiber in asecond area, said second area being adjacent to and outside of saidplasma region; wherein coating material present on said portion of saidoptical fiber is removed when said plasma is present and said portion ofsaid optical fiber is positioned in said second area.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein positioning step is performed prior tosaid generating step.
 3. The method according to claim 1, whereinpositioning step is performed subsequent to said generating step.
 4. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein said optical fiber includes atleast one coating layer, wherein said preparing comprises cleaning saidoptical fiber, wherein said portion of said optical fiber is a strippedportion of said optical fiber formed by removing nearly all of said atleast one coating layer from said portion of said optical fiber, andwherein said coating material comprises debris left on said strippedportion of said optical fiber after said nearly all of said at least onecoating layer is removed from said portion of said optical fiber.
 5. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein said optical fiber includes atleast one coating layer, wherein said preparing comprises stripping saidoptical fiber, and wherein said coating material present on said portionof said optical fiber that is removed comprises nearly all of said atleast one coating layer that is present at said portion of said opticalfiber.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said electrical arccomprises a continuous electrical arc.
 7. The method according to claim6, further comprising translating said portion of said optical fiberrelative to said plasma region.
 8. The method according to claim 7,wherein said translating step is performed at a rate of betweenapproximately 0.1 mm/second and approximately 100 mm/second.
 9. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein said electrical arc is generatedalong a first axis, wherein said optical fiber has a longitudinal axis,and wherein said positioning step comprises positioning said opticalfiber such that said longitudinal axis is generally perpendicular tosaid first axis.
 10. The method according to claim 9, further comprisingtranslating said portion of said optical fiber relative to said plasmaregion along said longitudinal axis.
 11. The method according to claim1, wherein said electrical arc is generated along a first axis, whereinsaid optical fiber has a longitudinal axis, and wherein said positioningstep comprises positioning said optical fiber such that saidlongitudinal axis is generally parallel to said first axis.
 12. Themethod according to claim 11, further comprising translating saidportion of said optical fiber relative to said plasma region along saidlongitudinal axis.
 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein saidelectrical arc is a pulsed electrical arc.
 14. The method according toclaim 13, further comprising translating said portion of said opticalfiber relative to said plasma region.
 15. The method according to claim14, wherein said pulsed electrical arc is generated at a frequency ofabout 15 KHz at a duty cycle of about 50%.
 16. The method according toclaim 14, wherein said pulsed electrical arc has a primary duty cycle,wherein said generating step further comprises turning said pulsedelectrical arc on and off at a ratio separate from said primary dutycycle.
 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said ratiocomprises repeatedly turning said pulsed electrical arc on for a firsttime period and off for a second time period.
 18. The method accordingto claim 17, wherein said first time period is approximately 50 ms andsaid second time period is approximately 150 ms.
 19. The methodaccording to claim 17, wherein said first time period is approximately50 ms and said second time period is one of approximately 150 ms,approximately 121 ms, approximately 88 ms, and approximately 50 ms. 20.The method according to claim 16, wherein said ratio is selectable by auser.
 21. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or moregasses comprises air.
 22. The method according to claim 1, furthercomprising introducing said one or more gasses into said first area,said one or more gasses comprising CO₂.
 23. The method according toclaim 1, further comprising introducing said one or more gasses intosaid first area, said one or more gasses comprising an inert gas. 24.The method according to claim 1, further comprising introducing said oneor more gasses into said first area, said one or more gasses comprisingone or more gasses that remove one or both of oxygen and humidity fromsaid first area.
 25. The method according to claim 1, further comprisingintroducing said one or more gasses into said first area, said one ormore gasses comprising one or more gasses that reduce a dielectricstrength of said first area.
 26. The method according to claim 1,further comprising injecting negative ions into said first area at leastprior to said step of generating said electrical arc.
 27. The methodaccording to claim 26, wherein said negative ions are also injectedduring said generating step.
 28. The method according to claim 27,further comprising moving and repositioning said plasma by controllingone or more of a location from which said negative ions are injected, anorientation relative to said plasma from which said negative ions areinjected, and a power level used to generate said negative ions.
 29. Amethod of preparing an optical fiber, comprising: generating a pulsedelectrical arc in a first area, said pulsed electrical arc creating aplasma in one or more gasses located in said first area, said plasmabeing located in a plasma region; and positioning a portion of saidoptical fiber at least partially within said plasma region; whereincoating material present on said portion of said optical fiber isremoved when said plasma is present and said portion of said opticalfiber is positioned at least partially within said plasma region. 30.The method according to claim 29, wherein positioning step is performedprior to said generating step.
 31. The method according to claim 29,wherein positioning step is performed subsequent to said generatingstep.
 32. The method according to claim 29, wherein said optical fiberincludes at least one coating layer, wherein said preparing comprisescleaning said optical fiber, wherein said portion of said optical fiberis a stripped portion of said optical fiber formed by removing nearlyall of said at least one coating layer from said portion of said opticalfiber, and wherein said coating material comprises debris left on saidstripped portion of said optical fiber after said nearly all of said atleast one coating layer is removed from said portion of said opticalfiber.
 33. The method according to claim 29, wherein said optical fiberincludes at least one coating layer, wherein said preparing comprisesstripping said optical fiber, and wherein said coating materialcomprises nearly all of said at least one coating layer present at saidportion of said optical fiber.
 34. The method according to claim 29,wherein said pulsed electrical arc is generated along a first axis,wherein said optical fiber has a longitudinal axis, and wherein saidpositioning step comprises positioning said optical fiber such that saidlongitudinal axis is generally perpendicular to said first axis.
 35. Themethod according to claim 34, further comprising translating saidportion of said optical fiber relative to said plasma region along saidlongitudinal axis.
 36. The method according to claim 29, wherein saidpulsed electrical arc is generated along a first axis, wherein saidoptical fiber has a longitudinal axis, and wherein said positioning stepcomprises positioning said optical fiber such that said longitudinalaxis is generally parallel to said first axis.
 37. The method accordingto claim 36, further comprising translating said portion of said opticalfiber relative to said plasma region along said longitudinal axis. 38.The method according to claim 29, wherein said pulsed electrical arc isgenerated at a frequency of about 15 KHz at a duty cycle of about 50%.39. The method according to claim 29, wherein said pulsed electrical archas a primary duty cycle, wherein said generating step further comprisesturning said pulsed electrical arc on and off at a ratio separate fromsaid primary duty cycle.
 40. The method according to claim 39, whereinsaid ratio comprises repeatedly turning said pulsed electrical arc onfor a first time period and off for a second time period.
 41. The methodaccording to claim 40, wherein said first time period is approximately50 ms and said second time period is approximately 150 ms.
 42. Themethod according to claim 40, wherein said first time period isapproximately 50 ms and said second time period is one of approximately150 ms, approximately 121 ms, approximately 88 ms, and approximately 50ms.
 43. The method according to claim 39, wherein said ratio isselectable by a user.
 44. The method according to claim 29, wherein saidone or more gasses comprises air.
 45. The method according to claim 29,further comprising introducing said one or more gasses into said firstarea, said one or more gasses comprising CO₂.
 46. The method accordingto claim 29, further comprising introducing said one or more gasses intosaid first area, said one or more gasses comprising an inert gas. 47.The method according to claim 29, further comprising introducing saidone or more gasses into said first area, said one or more gassescomprising one or more gasses that remove one or both of oxygen andhumidity from said first area.
 48. The method according to claim 29,further comprising introducing said one or more gasses into said firstarea, said one or more gasses comprising one or more gasses that reducea dielectric strength of said first area.
 49. The method according toclaim 29, further comprising injecting negative ions into said firstarea at least prior to said step of generating said pulsed electricalarc.
 50. The method according to claim 49, wherein said negative ionsare also injected during said generating step.
 51. The method accordingto claim 50, further comprising moving and repositioning said plasma bycontrolling one or more of a location from which said negative ions areinjected, an orientation relative to said plasma from which saidnegative ions are injected, and a power level used to generate saidnegative ions.
 52. An apparatus for preparing an optical fiber having atleast one coating layer, comprising: a stripping module for removingnearly all of said at least one coating layer present at a portion ofsaid optical fiber; a cleaning module having a first electrode and asecond electrode, wherein an electrical arc is selectively generated ina first area between said first electrode and said second electrode,said electrical arc creating a plasma in one or more gasses located insaid first area, said plasma being located in a plasma region; acleaving module for cleaving an end of said optical fiber; and a fiberholding mechanism for holding said optical fiber and moving said opticalfiber among said stripping module, said cleaning module and saidcleaving module, said fiber holding mechanism selectively positioningsaid portion of said optical fiber in a second area, said second areabeing adjacent to and outside of said plasma region, wherein debris lefton said portion of said optical fiber after said nearly all of said atleast one coating layer is removed from said portion of said opticalfiber is removed when said plasma is present and said portion of saidoptical fiber is positioned in said second area.
 53. The systemaccording to claim 52, wherein said cleaning module further comprises anionizer device for injecting negative ions into said first area.
 54. Thesystem according to claim 53, wherein said ionizer device includes anelectrode that emits said negative ions, wherein said plasma may beselectively moved and repositioned by controlling on or more of alocation of said electrode, an orientation relative to said plasma ofsaid electrode, and a power level provided to said ionizer device togenerate said negative ions.
 55. An apparatus for preparing an opticalfiber having at least one coating layer, comprising: a stripping modulefor removing nearly all of said at least one coating layer present at aportion of said optical fiber; a cleaning module having a firstelectrode and a second electrode, wherein a pulsed electrical arc isselectively generated in a first area between said first electrode andsaid second electrode, said pulsed electrical arc creating a plasma inone or more gasses located in said first area, said plasma being locatedin a plasma region; a cleaving module for cleaving an end of saidoptical fiber; and a fiber holding mechanism for holding said opticalfiber and moving said optical fiber among said stripping module, saidcleaning module and said cleaving module, said fiber holding mechanismselectively positioning said portion of said optical fiber at leastpartially within said plasma region, wherein debris left on said portionof said optical fiber after said nearly all of said at least one coatinglayer is removed from said portion of said optical fiber is removed whensaid plasma is present and said portion of said optical fiber ispositioned at least partially within said plasma region.
 56. The systemaccording to claim 55, wherein said cleaning module further comprises anionizer device for injecting negative ions into said first area.
 57. Thesystem according to claim 56, wherein said ionizer device includes anelectrode that emits said negative ions, wherein said plasma may beselectively moved and repositioned by controlling one or more of alocation of said electrode, an orientation relative to said plasma ofsaid electrode, and a power level provided to said ionizer device togenerate said negative ions.